Salubrious
by ObsessedHPFanatic
Summary: For the Pairing Diversity Boot Camp Challenge. Lily and James' first date.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is, again, for the Pairing Diversity Boot Camp Challenge. Also, it is my first James x Lily. Lots of firsts for me in this challenge! Chapter two will be up soon, so please review and tell me if it's worth putting a second chapter up! I'm probably going to do it anyway, but I do like to have opinions! I don't own anything because I'm young and poor.**

* * *

"Lily, wait!" a maddeningly familiar voice called.

I stopped in my tracks, groaning inwardly. "What do you want, James?" I asked, annoyed, as I turned around.

"You know what I want," he said, winking at me.

"For the last time, James, no! I don't want to go out with you!"

"Just once!" he insisted. "If you don't have a good time, I won't ever ask you again, I swear."

I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to contain my irritation. "I'll think about it," I replied, opening my eyes but wrinkling my nose in disgust.

James' face lit up at once. "You won't regret it, I promise."

"You realize that wasn't a yes."

"It was as good as one," he grinned.

I rolled my eyes at him and walked away.

"Wait!" James cried. "You forgot something!"

"I'm sure I didn't forget anything, James," I said exasperatedly, whipping around and finding him much closer than he should have been.

He smiled at me sweetly, his face very near mine.

"Don't try that with me, you know I'll hex you," I warned.

James grabbed my hand and pressed his lips to it. "Don't worry, I won't try anything major...yet," he joked and turned on his heel, nearly running back down the corridor. "You know where to find me!" he called over his shoulder.

I stood where James left me, shocked. He had kissed me. And it hadn't been horribly unpleasant. In fact, it had been the opposite. I couldn't have enjoyed the fleeting feeling of his lips on my hand... Right? I shook my head to clear it. There was no way I had enjoyed it. Perhaps I had just felt a rush of disgust. Yes, that was much more likely. I rubbed the back of my hand gently. The spot where he kissed me tingled slightly. Tingled with disgust, of course. Perhaps disdain. It wasn't pleasant. Was it? I shook my head again and turned away. It was time to go.

* * *

"Remus, Sirius!" I called joyfully as I flung the door to our dorm open. "Guess who said yes!"

Remus looked up from his book, surprised. "Lily actually said yes?"

"What's the catch, mate?" Sirius teased, jumping up and leaping across the room to greet me. "You know we won't believe you until you tell us what it is."

Remus nodded, rolling his eyes at Sirius' boundless energy. "He's been cooped up too long. I made him do his homework."

"It was horrible," Sirius cried dramatically, pretending to swoon.

I shook my head at him, chuckling.

"So, the catch?" Sirius asked, punching me lightly on the arm. "What's the catch, James? We all know Lily can't stand you."

"Shut up, Sirius!" I said loudly, sticking my tongue out at him.

"Oh no! A direct order! I must obey!" Sirius yelled, clapping a hand over his mouth.

"She didn't exactly say yes," I admitted.

Sirius muffled his boisterous laughter behind his hand.

Remus chuckled quietly at Sirius' antics. "So she didn't actually say yes?" he asked me, marking his place in his book.

"Not exactly. But it was as good as a yes!" I insisted.

"What exactly is as good as a yes?" Sirius burst out.

"She said she would think about it," I informed him, making a face.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "That's much closer than your previous - how many times have you asked her out?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" I asked him pointedly.

"Oh no, I have offended you! A thousand apologies!" Sirius teased, bowing mockingly.

I rolled my eyes and finally crossed to my four-poster. "And I kissed her hand," I said, flopping down on it.

"You what?!" Sirius and Remus exclaimed simultaneously.

"You owe me a butterbeer," Sirius told Remus as he ran over to my bed. "You kissed her hand, James?" he cried, bouncing next to me. "How was it?"

"I am _not _getting you a butterbeer," Remus muttered, standing and stretching.

"Why do you always have to kill the mood, Remus?" Sirius joked, elbowing him. "Now is not the time for our little quarrel about butterbeer. _This _is news!"

"Thank you, Sirius!" I grinned.

"I know this is news," Remus grumbled. "I'm still not getting you a butterbeer."

Sirius stuck his tongue out. "How was the kiss, mate?" he asked me excitedly.

"You say that like it was a real kiss," I chuckled as I shoved him off my bed.

"Oh, but it was, James! It _was _a real kiss!" Sirius insisted, eyes wide.

"More real than any Sirius has gotten, anyway," Remus teased.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "I beg to differ, Remus. When exactly was your last kiss?"

Remus blushed. "That is beside the point."

¨Is it?¨ Sirius asked, advancing on him slowly.

Remus nodded frantically. ¨It´s utterly beside the point!"

"Stop flirting, you two!" I exclaimed, throwing a pillow at the back of Sirius' head. "You were the ones who wanted to know how the kiss was!"

Sirius turned around, glaring at me unconvincingly. His grin may not have been visible on his mouth, but his eyes twinkled. "Yes, of course. How was your first kiss with Lily, you clod?"

"I think name-calling is quite unnecessary!" I returned, reaching behind me for another pillow.

"Excuse me. _James_," Sirius said, hiding a chuckle.

"Of course, _Sirius_."

"Just tell us about the kiss!" Remus cried. "I'd rather not be hit by another pillow or tackled by Sirius."

"Yes, yes. The kiss," I said and paused. "I think she enjoyed it."

Sirius' jaw dropped. "Enjoyed it? You think _Lily Evans_ enjoyed a kiss _you _gave her? You have to be off your rocker, James. Has the world gone mad?"

Remus elbowed Sirius and rolled his eyes. "Be quiet, Sirius. If she said she would think about going out with James, why would she not enjoy the attention he gave her?"

"Exactly!" I said excitedly. "Boys, you are now looking at James Potter, the triumphant."

"When is she telling you her answer?" Remus asked.

That wasn't something I had thought of. "I... She... Good question, Remus. Are there any more questions?"

Sirius threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, James. Rookie mistake, that."

"If you two don't appreciate my news, I can go find someone who does," I replied, turning away. "I'm sure Peter would love to hear about my triumph."

Sirius snorted. "I'm sure he would. But he wouldn't give you a hard time about it and you would miss us."

"Believe what you will," I chuckled.

Sirius looked hurt. He pouted, his bottom lip quivering slightly, his eyes appearing to sparkle with unshed tears.

"No puppy eyes," I grinned. "It looks better on a dog."

"Have you forgotten what I am?" Sirius asked, the sad expression replaced immediately with humor.

"You never let me forget," I replied, feigning annoyance.

"Oh, shut up, James," Sirius chuckled. "Don't you have a girl to woo?"

* * *

"You said _what?_" Sarah exclaimed.

I blushed. "I told him I would think about it."

"Lily! Why didn't you say yes?"

"You know how much of a jerk he was to..." I trailed away. That part of my life was over.

"And that boy was a jerk to _you_. James is just arrogant. You know how much he fancies you,¨ she said, reaching across the table and covering my hand with hers.

I sighed. "I know."

"So go find him and say yes! What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid I might enjoy it," I admitted quietly.

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying a date. That's actually the point of dating,¨ she smiled.

She was right. I sighed again, closing my eyes. I knew I really did want to go to Hogsmeade with James, but there was just something holding me back. "You know how I feel about James. I just... I just don't know if I can go through with it."

"Do you want to go?"

"You know I do," I replied, blushing.

"Then go!" Sarah insisted, standing.

I looked at her, dismayed.

"I'm not taking no for an answer, Lily. Lets go!"

Butterflies instantly began fluttering around my stomach. I took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. "All right. Lets go."

* * *

"Quick, Remus, there she is. What do I say?" I asked frantically, straightening my glasses and running a hand through my hair.

"What happened to James Potter, the triumphant?" Sirius teased.

I grimaced. "He got lost on the way downstairs."

Sirius chuckled quietly before answering my question. "Say something about the weather."

"The weather? That seems mundane," I said nervously. "Do you really think she wants to talk about the weather?"

"I have no idea, mate. You'll have to find that out for yourself!"

"Remus?" I pleaded, seeking assistance.

"Impress her. What do you know about the weather?" Remus asked.

"It's...not cloudy today," I replied, glancing up at the sky.

"Try using an impressive word! Remus, give him an impressive word!" Sirius exclaimed suddenly, elbowing him.

"Why must I think of the impressive word?" Remus asked, his slightly irritated tone not reaching his eyes.

Sirius stared at him. "I can't believe you just said that, Remus. James is desperate!"

"Please?" I begged.

"Fine," Remus replied and looked at the sky. "Salubrious."

"Salu-what? I wanted a word, Remus, not a sneeze!"

"It means health-bringing," Remus grinned, rolling his eyes.

"How do you pronounce it?"

"Salubrious," Remus repeated patiently.

"Salubrious," I said carefully.

"Correct! Now go and talk about the salubrious weather!" Remus said, shoving me toward Lily.

I stumbled a little before settling into my usual loping gait. All I could do was gaze at Lily. I hoped she didn't mind my staring. She just looked so bloody beautiful today. "Hello, there," I greeted, trying my best to put on my normal grin.

Lily smiled knowingly. "Nervous?"

"Of course not. Just taken aback," I said, trying my best to mean it.

"Taken aback?"

"You are especially beautiful today, Lily Evans," I replied.

Lily blushed deeply and tried to contain a smile.

I glanced back at Sirius and Remus to see them mouthing the word at me. "It must be this salubrious weather."

Lily stared at me and then burst into laughter.

"What?" I asked indignantly. "It's a real word!"

She giggled some more and laid a hand on my arm. "I know it's a real word, James, I'm just wondering how many times Remus had to explain it to you."

I ignored her remark only because her hand was on my arm and it felt wonderful. "You don't think I could have used it correctly without Remus?"

"I don't think you even knew what it meant until a few minutes ago," she replied, still laughing.

I rolled my eyes at her, but made no move to remove her hand. "I see why you agreed to go out with me."

"I doubt that," she said when she finally stopped giggling.

"Oh, really? I'm sure I know."

"And why did I agree to go out with you?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"You have hidden aggression and you need to take it out on someone," I told her with a grin.

Lily rolled her eyes, but her smile didn't leave. "Perhaps you're right. Or perhaps I had grown tired of you asking me out every weekend since third year."  
"I shall keep my promise, m'lady. I will not ask you again, unless you enjoy yourself today. But I think you're leaning towards another day with me," I said slyly.

"Perhaps."

Internally, I was jumping and shouting with joy. "Of course, of course. But you must promise me something as well," I told her calmly.

"What's that?" she asked, still smiling.

I leaned in close. "If you do enjoy yourself, you must let me kiss you," I breathed in her ear.

Lily blushed. "Deal. But you have your work cut out for you."

"Do I, now?" I teased, offering my arm. "Right this way, Lily Evans."

* * *

**Author's Note: You know the deal, please review and so on and so on. I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Chapter two! I know it took a little bit longer than I was expecting, but I hope you will enjoy it just as much! Let me know if you think I need another chapter. I don't think I do, but I can write another if you want! Please review! I own nothing because I am young and poor.**

* * *

"The time has come to tell me if you enjoyed yourself," James told me as we reached the edge of the grounds.

I blushed slightly. "Why don't you tell me the answer to that question?" I asked quietly, sidling towards him.

James' face lit up. "Really?"

"What do you think, James?"

He grinned happily, but suddenly looked nervous. "You want me to kiss you, then?"

There was nothing I wanted more at that particular moment. "How's this for an answer?" I breathed and leaned in to kiss him.

Our lips met. My eyes fluttered closed as I melted into his arms. I could feel his hands on my waist and the warmth of his shoulders under my hand, but I didn't care. All I cared about was the sweet pressure of his mouth on mine.

James broke away first. "That was..."

"Oh, shut up, James," I whispered and kissed him again.

* * *

I couldn't believe it. I was kissing Lily Evans and she was kissing me back! If this was a dream, I didn't need Divinations to figure out what it meant. I broke away, even though I didn't want to and said "That was..." Before I could finish however, Lily told me to shut up. I chuckled quietly, but then she kissed me again and the world went away. The only thing in this world that existed was Lily Evans. Her soft lips moved against mine in a way that was so good it was nearly sinful. It was my turn to take her breath away.

"Lily," I whispered against her lips. "Why didn't you agree to this sooner?"

She gasped and pulled away, putting her hand over her mouth.

"What's wrong?" I asked, suddenly concerned. Things had been going so well. What had I done to mess it all up?

"Nothing... I... It's nothing," she replied, trembling slightly as she removed her hand from her lips.

"No, tell me," I insisted, tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder.

Lily didn't say anything for a few moments. "I'm afraid, James," she finally whispered.

"Of what?"

"Of..." she paused and looked at me. "Of you."

My jaw dropped. "You're afraid of me?"

"I'm afraid of my feelings for you," she breathed.

I was speechless. "I... What do you mean?"

"I never wanted to have feelings for you, James."

I was utterly confused. "I still don't understand."

"But I do," she said quietly. "And I'm afraid that will never change."

"What are you saying?" I asked, eyebrows knitted.

"I... I'm sorry. I don't know if I can explain."

"Try?"

* * *

I didn't know how to explain my feelings for James. I didn't know how to explain my fear. I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to explain. "Can we sit down?" I asked. "I don't know how long this will take."

"Of course," James nodded.

He pulled out his wand and conjured a bench next to the gates.

I blushed. "That's not what I meant," I grinned in spite of myself.

"I could make chairs!"

My smile widened. "I meant you didn't have to conjure a bench. I was fine with sitting on a stump or a rock."

"Oh," James said, a little ashamed.

"This is perfectly fine, James. I appreciate it."

He blushed slightly and gestured to the bench, indicating we should sit down. "Why are you afraid?" he asked quietly. Hesitantly, he reached for my hand, but jerked away before he touched it.

I sighed, slightly ashamed. I held out my hands for him to take. "I've never felt like this before, James. I... I want to trust you, I hope you know that."

He entwined our fingers carefully, rubbing his thumbs over the backs of my hands. "Why can't you trust me?" he inquired, looking into my eyes.

I blushed and broke his gaze. "You know about... Severus," I replied after a long pause.

"You had a falling out."

"I trusted him completely, James," I told him, angry at myself for the tears that threatened to spill.

"All I can do is apologize for provoking him," he said, sounding truly sorry.

"It was bound to happen anyway," I replied, looking down at my feet.

James let go of my right hand and reached up to cup my chin. "Look at me," he breathed.

I bit my lip as I complied.

"I will _never _hurt you, Lily." He paused. "In fact, I will be salubrious," he grinned.

I had to smile at the word. "I want to believe you, James. I really want to believe you."

"I know it will take time."

More tears sprang up at that. I couldn't believe how thoughtful and sweet James was being. I knew my answer to that. I leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips, hoping he would take the hint. He didn't pull me close and press our lips together frantically, he didn't tangle his hands in my hair, he simply sat there and moved his lips against mine softly.

"Thank you, James," I whispered as I broke away.

He smiled, the grin lighting up his whole face. "You are so very welcome, Lily," he replied and kissed me on the cheek.

I didn't even attempt to hide my smile. "I think we can head back to the castle now."

"Your wish is my command," he teased.

"There goes your goodbye kiss!"

All traces of humor melted away from his face. He looked down at his feet, ashamed.

"I was only joking, James," I giggled.

"I know," he replied, looking up at me with a smile on his lips and in his eyes. He leaned forward and whispered in my ear. "I would have kissed you anyway."

"Oh really?" I asked mischievously. "We'll see about that," I said and sprang to my feet. I started running back up to the castle.

"You think I can't catch you, Lily Evans?" James called after me.

I glanced over my shoulder. "I think you already have."

* * *

**Author's Note: Sweet, isn't it? :) Please review! Let me know if I need another chapter! Love, Gency.  
**


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